When You Wake Up
by EroSempai
Summary: Inara's latest client is on the same planet as Mal's next job. He ignores the warning she gives him and gets the goods off the planet. But the next morning makes everyone feel different. Pre-Serenity. R&R, Enjoy!


Chapter 1: Exotic Goods

AN: My first Firefly fanfiction; one of the few cleaner stories I will have posted since I know some users that ENJOY good stories. Innuendos and humor from the crew of Serenity, and some other surprises that I decide to type up. Enjoy!

Inara looked into the computer to see the client that wanted to be with her this time, and with a touch onto the screen with one fingertip she pressed the video that the man had made for her. The video played on screen; a man in a white suit spoke in a formal tone that made her feel glad to know the "civilized" world. It was a welcome relief from the way Mal spoke to her about her "whoring" business. "I would love to join you Alan." She said smiling, and soon turned off the screen to inform Mal.

Mal was at the front of Serenity; he was watching the coordinates that he set for Wash to fly. He found a job that required the selling of exotic perfumes to other border planets, and these perfumes were filled with pheromones. He just wanted to get the goods and get out; they hadn't had a simple job in a long time. Whatever planet wanted it would receive it, but until that point he was restless. He looked back down at the screen; they were almost there and he had to get everyone ready to get the goods.

He walked out of the room to head up the stairs to Inara's shuttle; he knew that she wouldn't do the job. He moved the red silk aside and walked into her shuttle; just to see her getting off the cortex to see Mal standing by the door. "Ah. Mal. Let yourself in." She said sarcastically. She moved away from the screen to sit on her bed and adjust her hair, and he walked in to stand by the side of her bedpost. "We're close to Ta'Ma. " He said with a tone of seriousness in his voice due to not having a job in a while.

The dark haired woman looked up at Mal annoyed, and she realized that was the same planet she had to go to. She glared at him; "Mal. Did you get a job without telling me?" He shrugged and walked away, but before he left she had a few words for him. "Don't go to this planet. There are consequences for getting any goods here if you are a foreigner; you have to be approved by the royals before you take anything… even food sir." Her tone was serious, and she wasn't pleased about what he accepted. This would make her job much harder if Mal was nearby, and the man she had to be with would be very suspicious since he client was part of the royal family.

"Don't worry Inara. We'll be done before you get your mouth on his –"Mal was cut off by the rocking of Serenity and groaned. He was hoping another panel of the ship didn't come off like before; repairs were never fun to pay for. He ran out to the loading bay to see Jayne ready to join him, and Wash spoke over the intercom. "Alright Mal. We're nearing the surface of the loading bay here; be quick about it please… last job almost shot Serenity to bits!"

The door opened and the men walked out onto the ramp to leave; Ta'ma was a planet that had lush green scenery and white marble buildings in sight. The men walked into a nearby bar to meet up with their contact, and sat down. A woman with brown hair to the middle of her back walked up to sit at the table with them. She wore a red silk dress bunched up at her breasts, and her red lips were the most striking feature on her face. She looked well off; one might say she was a very important person on this planet.

"Captain Malcolm Reynolds. Nice to see that a handsome man take my offer" She giggled and watched the man smirk. "Where are these goods you spoke of to me?" Mal said impatiently. She laughed softly and held out her closed right hand to him, "Open your hand." He listened and the feeling of cold metal touched his hand; he looked down at the object that touched him. It was a silver key embossed with a tiger going down the length of it, and was probably a one of a kind item. She stood up and walked gracefully to whisper into Mal's ear, "It's at the shop named 'Exotics.' Check the bookshelf to get into a room where your reward is."

Inara was inside a room with marble posts and a large four-post bed, and sitting at the small table she started to prepare tea for her client. It was required of a companion to serve tea to get a connection with the person she would be with, although some clients preferred not to have it. Alan walked out to see Inara pouring him a cup of tea into his cup and setting down the kettle; the sweet smell of citrus and musk flowing into the room. He sat down in the chair across from her and took a sip of the tea with her; his blue eyes gazing into hers as she set her cup down. "I give you permission to take anything you wish companion."

Meanwhile Mal and Jayne were inside the city heading to the bank, and when they entered the building with a holographic sign that read 'Exotics.' Mal walked to the nearby book shelf while Jayne distracted the shopkeeper; he was talking about how he needed to get a date and what he should smell like. This seemed to spark up the woman's attention away from anything else, and allowed Mal to get inside the room. A large silk sack was inside, and opening it he saw the many perfumes the contact told him about. He grabbed the sack and walked out, and saw Jayne was waiting for him as soon as the bookcase closed.

The men walked out of the shop and the faint smell of lavender filled the air; it seemed like Jayne got a sample of something while Mal was busy. He spoke into his hand and Wash's voice replied soon after, "Yes sir. Entering the loading dock now."

Mal was about to take a bite of his food before he felt on a tugging on his arm; it was River staring intently at him. He tried to take the fork up to his mouth, but she moved his arm down sharply. He set his fork down and looked at her annoyed, "Yes River?" She just stared at him and moved her hands from the arm of the brown dress shirt he was wearing, "You're going to pay for your crimes… oh yes… pay for them in the worst way possible." Simon set down his fork to get up and move River away from the table, and they walked to the corner to talk.

"Didn't that job seem a bit _too_ simple sir?" Zoe stated; she was a bit surprised nobody came back with an injury or damaged ego. "Yeah Mal! There were no guards even inside the town! Maybe… they're invisible!" Jayne's theory made the rest of the crew laugh, and Kaylee made a nice suggestion. "Maybe it's a rare planet in the universe that doesn't have crime Jayne." Whatever the case was; at least the crew had completed a job without it going awry.

After dinner the crew walked to the doors to their bunks, although Simon waited by Mal's quarter to see how the job went. "Ah! Doctor… Why are you here?" Mal was confused on why Simon had any need to talk to him, but he mainly thought it was what River said to him at dinner. "It's the job you did sir, it was too simple… even for a border planet." He said with a bit of concern in his voice, and walked away to the way to his quarters. Mal shrugged and walked to his room to take off his shirt and get inside his bed.

"Punishment… yes… a very severe one indeed. We all will face the consequences of his." River said softly before falling to sleep.


End file.
